The World Food Programme Staff Magazine N. 43July 2008

MYANMAR: OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES

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SURVIVING NARGISWhen brothers Kyaw and Aung Naing wereswept away by the tidal surge thatfollowed in the wake of Cyclone Nargis,neither of them would have known thatthey were the only survivors from theirfamily.

But putting even the most basic pieces oftheir lives back together again would takedays of heartache and suffering, lightenedonly by the discovery that at least theyhad each other.

Their village of Mayangone, near Labutta inthe Ayeyarwady Delta, was flattened by thewall of water that has left tens ofthousands of people dead and many morestill missing. Nargis swept Kyaw, a small,round-faced 11-year-old, across the PyanMae Law River, where somehow he emergedalive and sought shelter in a monastery inLabutta.

All 14-year-old Aung could remember wasfalling unconscious, his thin, long bodylater being hauled from the water and ontoa boat. He was then taken to a governmenttemporary shelter at Myaung Mya.

A week later, Aung decided to leave to seeif he could get back to his village and findany of his family alive. After three and ahalf hours on a bus, he made it to Labutta,where he miraculously discovered Kyaw atthe monastery.

But with little space for newcomers at themonastery, the two brothers decided tocontinue their journey homewards, takinga boat ride overnight and arriving atMayangone around lunchtime the followingday. As it happened, a WFP assessmentteam was on site, where they had foundjust 32 survivors of the cyclone, out of apopulation of 322. The village had beenutterly destroyed, and the survivors weresurrounded by appalling filth and swarmsof large, aggressive flies. There was noshelter or clean drinking water and only aday's food supply left.

Neither Kyaw nor Aung had eaten for 36hours and were completely famished. They

fearfully approached the site, wearingclothes too large for their frail bodies -oversized t-shirts and tattered old trouserswhich they had no doubt picked up in oneof the camps along the way.

The WFP team had their lunch boxes withthem - which were filled with rice and localcurry - but quickly handed all four of themover to the boys. Their eyes turned brightat the sight of food and in a matter ofminutes, the rice and curry completelyvanished into their mouths.

After the boys finished eating, depressionsank in - like a dark, looming cloud - andtheir exhaustion and hopelessness werepalpable. Their lives had been turnedupside down - and the road ahead of themwas going to be full of hardship andsuffering.

Before the brothers left, the WFP staff gavethem a 5-day ration of high-energybiscuits. Regular one-month rations weredistributed at Mayangone the followingday.

The survivors of Cyclone Nargis have beenleft with almost nothing: no animals, seedsor fishing tackle which were the tools oftheir livelihoods. Morale in the delta is lowas it is impossible for people to take careof each other properly with the littleassistance that has been received to date.

This is a particular frustration for thepeople of the Ayeyarwady, whose Buddhistphilosophy compels them to look afterthose less fortunate than themselves.

Meanwhile, Kaw and Aung wonder howthey are going to get through the days,weeks and months ahead. They have noidea what the future holds, who will lookafter them, whether they will go back toschool or how to cope with life without afamily.

Of one thing they can be sure - WFP will beback to provide food for at least the nextsix months. It's not everything they need,of course, but it is a start.

INTERVIEW WITH KYAWOO MAUNG (A.K.A. “KOM”), PROGRAMME OFFICER IN YANGON, MYANMAR AND FORMER HEAD OF LABUTTA SUB-OFFICE

CH: Please tell me when you joined WFP and what your current position is?

KM: I joined WFP in May 2004 as Head of the Sub-Office in Lashio and then became Headof the Sub-Office in Magway in 2005. I went on to Muzaffarabad, Kashmir in October2005 for three months during WFP's EMOP. In May 2008, I became Head of theProgramme Unit in the Yangon Country Office and then served as Head of the Sub-Officein Labutta. Now I am back in Yangon working as a Programme Officer/Field Coordinatoron both the PRRO and EMOP.

CH: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

KM: I was born in Yangon on 19 October 1964. I have a Masters from Cranfield University(UK). Before joining WFP, I worked as an Associate Professional Officer for FAO inTanzania. I have also worked as bodyguard for the Chairman of Kanbawza Bank. I ammarried with two children.

CH: Did you feel prepared when you first heard about Cyclone Nargis?

KM: After completing the ERT training in Sweden (12th intake) in 2005, I was preparedto go anywhere. Following the 2004 tsunami, I headed the first assessment mission tothe affected areas in the Myanmar delta, so I knew that I would be the one to go andmy emergency gear was already packed.

CH: Can you describe the situation when you first arrived in the Labutta office?

KM: It was chaos. Nobody expected there would be this much devastation. We estimatedthat there were tens of thousands of casualties while the Myanmar Government wasquoting the death figures only in the hundreds. We were not allowed to go into the fieldduring the first days. The people were helpless - no food, no shelter, no drinking water,no health services, etc.

The initial assessment team was comprised of one Logistics Assistant, a ProgrammeAssistant and me. We immediately requested for back-up and within four days wemanaged to deploy a total of 10 TDY national staff.

CH: What was the daily routine like (or was every day different?)

KM: We all slept at the office, on the floor, nearly on top of one another. We would wakeup at five in the morning, cue for the toilet and shower, eat breakfast at 6:00 am, andhave a staff meeting at 6:30 am. By 7:00 am, all of us were working: coordinatinglogistics for warehousing and transport, conducting programming for assessments,handling the administration and finances of establishing the office, etc. At 8:15 am everyday we reported to Hakan Tongul (Deputy Country Director, Myanmar) via telephone. Atthe end of the day, we would all have dinner together followed by beers at midnight.

CH: Can you describe any particular incidents that touched you?

KM: Yes, everybody had a story to tell and all the stories were about how their loved onesdied. In the initial days, government responses were nearly nil. After the referendum on24 May, people were forced back to their respective villages with two packets of instantnoodles per person. They had nothing to go home to in their villages except destroyedhouses and unburied dead corpses. We realized that it would be much harder to reachthe beneficiaries in their villages.

CH: What were the “highs & lows”?

KM: Despite having loads of lows, we stood together and supported each other as a team.The best moment was on 6 June, when we distributed a month’s ration of food to everysingle person in the Labutta township - that is, 240,000 people living in 517 villages.On the same day, I asked each single staff member whether they wished to go back. Allstaff responded that they wanted to stay despite 18 hours of work, poor livingconditions, and a DSA equivalent to US$8/day.

CH: How are the people of Myanmar coping - they are famous for their resilience - couldyou tell us a bit about this?

KM: Life has been hard. However, Buddhistmonks have played a key role. Thephilosophy of believing in fate has givenstrength to the people of Myanmar and hasmade them feel that life is worth living andnot to give up.

CH: Any advice for other WFP staff on how torelax in a stressful situation?

KM: Just do what your heart advises. Ofcourse, being prepared and going onmissions with people that you have workedwith before and feel comfortable with countsfor more than 50 percent of success and italso makes the work enjoyable.

Kyawoo Maung, Programme Officer in Yangon, Myanmar and former head of the Labutta sub-office, is the winner of WFP's quarterly story competition for his article on two brothers who were left homeless after Cyclone Nargis. You can read Kyawoo's riveting story below, followed by an in-depth interview

where he tells us what it was like being on the frontlines in Myanmar.

We look forward to seeing more stories and images by the next competition deadline of 30 September 2008. If you or your colleagues have good fodder for astory, but are unsure about how to capture it in writing, contact your nearest Public Information Officer for assistance - particularly if you have information

from the frontlines. Please send story submissions to: Natasha Scripture at natasha.scripture@wfp.org

The story of how two brothers reunited against all odds By Kyawoo Maung (as told to Marcus Prior)

Clearly “Kom” under pressure

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A total of 646 rotations have been made to isolated parts of the Ayeyarwady Delta, delivering740 tons of life-saving supplies.

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EEddiittoorr Caroline Hurford - assisted by Natasha ScriptureGGrraapphhiiccss Cristina AsconePPiiccttuurree rreesseeaarrcchh Rein Skullerud - photos by ReinSkullerud unless specified.Printed by Stilgrafica srl - Roma

PPiippeelliinnee is the staff newsletter of the World FoodProgramme. It is published quarterly by theCommunications and Public Policy Strategy Division. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are notnecessarily those of WFP.

PPiippeelliinneeCommunications and Public Policy Strategy Division OEDC, World Food ProgrammeVia Cesare Giulio Viola, 68/7000148 Rome, Italy

TGIF - BEHIND THE LAUGHTER

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WFP Ambassadors UpdateDrew Barrymore

Trip to WonderlandWalk the World 2008

Body and Soul

Abu’s StoryBiking for School FeedingGorilla Girl

Valerie SequeiraFree RiceA Gladiator in Senegal

UNILEVER’s Mr PomodoroBook Review: Moveable Feasts

WINGS II

Life in AfghanistanFour WeddingsSeparations & Obituaries

WFP’s Photo Competition

Have you ever wondered why so many people are laughing in front of their computers on Friday mornings? Areyou one of them? Thanks to the TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) messages from Jeff Taft-Dick, currently CountryDirector in Niger, more than 600 people around the world end their week on a more cheerful note.

It all started with an OJ Simpson joke that Jeff, also known as Mr. TGIF or TGI-Jeff, sent on a Friday in May1995 with the subject line TGIF to a few HQ colleagues. After explaining to many of them the meaning of TGIF,he had the idea to store up jokes and send them out each Friday.

By the time Jeff was assigned to Pakistan in September 1996, the membership list had grown to about 150colleagues, mainly in HQ. As there was no Lotus Notes in the field at this time, it first seemed that the TGIFmessage would come to a premature end, but due to strong demand, the editor's job was passed over to GeorgeHeymell and a year later to Amir Abdulla.

With the “globalization” of Lotus Notes in1998, the original TGIF editor took over the jobagain. TGIF messages had become indeed aserious hobby for Jeff; some colleagues evenclaimed that doing the TGIF is the mostsustainable activity Jeff has been involved within WFP. While others enjoy going for a run or adrink at the end of a busy workday, he likes towind down by going through the “TGIFpotential jokes” folder, searching for goodjokes to be used in the next edition. Accordingto Jeff, his hobby certainly prevented him fromkicking the dog or yelling at the children ongetting back home.

What almost started by accident became a funhobby and almost a duty and obligation as

many look forward to the Friday messages. With some occasional interruptions, including the Tsunami at the endof 2004, Jeff has sent the TGIF messages almost every Friday for the last 10 years. While looking for a clearindicator for the end of the emergency phase of the Tsunami, the definition was easy: the reappearance of theTGIF messages on Friday mornings.

In the meantime, about 450 WFP staff members and 150 friends, family members, as well as retired WFPemployees are on the TGIF mailing list. It would be interesting though to know the real number of recipients.Many people forward the jokes to their friends and colleagues. A New York banker visiting Sri Lanka was verysurprised when she realized that the person she just met was the author of the TGIF messages she sometimesreceived through many others.

Everyone who sends at least one good joke or story can be admitted to the mailing list. The staff counsellor,after visiting staff in isolated duty stations often sends an e-mail asking to add new colleagues to the mailinglist. It is nice to know that even at the height of an emergency WFP people in all the corners of the world cancome up with a smile on Friday mornings - thanks to Jeff!

Jeff Taft-Dick has told his friends “the one about...” Left to right:Doug Coutts, JTD, Bhim Udas, Doug Broderick, Mohamed Salaheen

Taj Nissah was one of thousands of people whose lives were turned upside down by the earthquake of 2005which destroyed nearly every building in Jabori Village in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Awidow with two children, Nissah lost not only her home, but also her livelihood - as the buffalo which she hadinherited when her husband died was killed in the quake.

Help soon came to her village: shelter, medicines and also WFP emergency food rations, but no buffalo…ThePakistani widow could no longer earn enough to feed her children properly. She had lost hope until a UN highlevel delegation flew in to visit what remained of her village. A member of the delegation was Josette Sheeran,before taking up her post as WFP Executive Director.

Taj Nissah was one of several women who spoke to Josette Sheeran, and she mentioned the loss of her buffaloand with it her milk-selling business.

Nissah did not know it then, but her encounter sowed the seeds of hope in her life. Back in the USA, JosetteSheeran raised funds to help survivors of the earthquake. A donor gave WFP a cheque for US$1,000 which isjust the amount needed to purchase a buffalo.

With the help of the Pakistan Government's Forestry Department, WFP's main partner in the earthquakerehabilitation operation, and after talking to the villagers in Jabori who recalled Ms. Sheeran's visit, Nissah wasidentified as an especially deserving beneficiary of the $1,000 cheque. A buffalo with her 4-month-old baby calfwas duly bought and handed over to Nissah in May.

Funds from the Government's EarthquakeReconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority havebeen used to restore Nissah's house, but the roof isstill missing and a lack of additional funds hashalted further reconstruction. Nevertheless, Nissah isstill hopeful: with earnings from the sale of thebuffalo's milk, Nissah may be able to complete herhouse - by her own means.

A BUFFALO RESTORES HOPE

Following the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, Taj Nissah’s lifeand her milk-selling business was turned upside down.However, WFP provided a lifeline in the form of a buffalo.

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As FIFA's World Player ofthe Year and a key player inthe Italian football club ACMilan, Kaká uses hiscelebrity to bring awarenessto WFP.

On 7 February, togetherwith the President of Ghana,the Mayor of Milan and ourExecutive Director, hepresented for the very firsttime the Fill the Cup

campaign in Milan during a press conference. Kakáalso helped put the campaign on the map in Italy bydedicating the Milan vs Siena football match on 10February to “Fill the Cup”. A banner reading “Youcan't play with hunger” was carried around the pitchby children.

Kaká - together with his teammate Paolo Maldini(UNICEF Ambassador) - were also featured in afundraising PSA and a print ad for the Joint WFP-UNICEF Myanmar SMS campaign in Italy which raisedover US$350,000

A m b a s s a d o rAgainst HungerHoward Buffetthas been agenerous donorto WFP and hascontributed to anumber ofdifferent projectsand initiatives.

Since his appointment as WFP Ambassador AgainstHunger in October 2007, Buffett has travelledextensively for WFP and visited operations in six

countries, including Guatemala, Nicaragua, Sudan,Sierra Leone, Kenya and the Ivory Coast.

Buffett has also supported WFP at a number ofevents and media engagements. In January, heattended the the World Economic Forum in Davoswhere he joined Josette Sheeran and former SecretaryGeneral Kofi Annaan, among others, in advocacyefforts in raising awareness about hunger.

Luna Maya: thepopular actressand model hasworked tirelesslyfor WFP since herappointment lastNovember 2007and has helpedraise WFP's

profile in Indonesia, through fundraising events,press conferences and site visits. She alsoparticipated in the Walk the World event in Jakartaon 1 June 2008.

In January 2008, DJ BoBo, WFP Ambassador forSwitzerland, participated in a charitable ski race, BCV24h Villars. Proceeds from the 24-hour ski race weresplit among three organisations.

This year, thanks to BoBo's participation, WFP wasone of the recipients, receiving approximatelyUS$125,000.

For the singer's 2008 "Vampires Alive" tour throughGermany and Switzerland, WFP and Berlin LO havestarted a successful "FreeRice" school competition inwhich BoBo donates between 200 and 500 ticketsfrom every concert to classes that play FreeRice inschool. So far, 2,164,010 grains of rice were"donated" by schools participating in thecompetition.

BoBo was also a guest on Ricardo Hammershow, aSwiss TV show, in December 2007 where he auctionedvarious items, including a car, VIP tickets for one ofhis concerts and football jerseys signed by Kaká,Ronaldo and FC Bayern Munich. Altogether aroundUS$68,000 was raised for WFP.

Popular Philippines actorand TV personality,Kristina CassandraConcepcion, widely knownsimply as “KC”, wasappointed WFP NationalAmbassador AgainstHunger this past February.

KC's special mission is to address hunger andhumanitarian needs in Mindanao, where WFP is usingfood assistance and hot meals to boost schoolenrolment and attendance.

On June 1, KC joined over 3,500 Filipinos for theWalk the World event in the Philippines, whichfeatured colourful Ati-Atihan dancers and drumbeaters. Together, they all looped around the historicBonifacio Global City.

“On a remarkably humid day in April, I landed atMfuwe Airport in Zambia with our celebrity partnerMs. Kurara Chibana, Miss Universe Japan 2006 andthe first runner-up of Miss Universe 2006. Kurara,one of the most popular cover girls in Japan, wasvisiting Zambia with a TV crew to gain first-handexperience of WFP's activities in the field.

“Who is she - Naomi Campbell?” whispered the soundengineer traveling with us. I looked ahead and infront of us stood a tall, beautiful woman wearing atraditional African dress. Her legs were so long thather waist was almost at the level of my chest. Iwalked over to my striking colleague, PreciousMumbi, PI officer for WFP Zambia and Miss Zambia2005, and introduced her to Kurara.

So I had the privilege of traveling with two of themost beautiful girls in the world, yet the beauty ranmuch deeper.

On a visit to a Zambian village, Kurara sat under atree with her legs crossed and listened keenly to agroup of WFP beneficiaries as they spoke about theirlives and difficulties. She eagerly asked questionsand was clearly interested to know about their livesand how she could help them.

At a village school, she lay down on the floor to takepictures of the children at their eye level and askedthem about their dreams. She was literally “down-to-earth.”

Cheerful as she is, Precious had some difficulties inher childhood and was raised by her older sister. Aperson of determination and efforts, she worked hardto earn money to receive a higher education.

Kurara and Precious quickly became good friends.Kurara explained the final selection process of MissUniverse for Precious, while Precious served as thebest guide for Kurara on the social and culturalbackground of Zambia.

On the last day of the trip, the two hugged eachother tightly and promised to meet again. On her wayback to Tokyo, Kurara wore the necklace Preciousgave to her. Their encounter was not shown in the TVprogramme on Kurara's trip which was later aired, butit was what made this trip even more precious.”By Yuko Yasuda, PI officer, Japan Relations Office

Ambassador Against Hunger Drew Barrymore, one ofthe world's best-known film stars, announced apersonal donation of US$1 million live on "TheOprah Winfrey Show" to help WFP feed thousands ofschool children in Kenya. During the show, whichwas also broadcast repeatedly around the world inMarch, Drew talked about her work with WFP and,against a backdrop of video showing her visitingWFP projects in Kenya, she told Oprah that WFP was“all about the action - not the talk”. The actressthen presented a huge cheque to Josette Sheeran,who was called up on stage from the front row ofthe audience by Oprah. Funds raised as a result ofDrew’s appeal on the Oprah Show have toppedUS$600,000.

Josette and Drew also visited the Chicago Board ofTrade (CBOT) together where they met with Terry

Duffy, CME ExecutiveChairman.

They took a tour ofthe agriculturetrading floor andspoke with tradersabout high foodprices and its impacton WFP’s operations.

As a WFP Ambassador Against Hunger, Drew hastraveled to Kenya twice in two years. She is anardent advocate for WFP school feeding whichboosts children's chances for health, education anda more promising future.

She also collaborated on avideo PSA that appearedon the 22-storey videoscreens in New York’sTimes Square; and her Fillthe Cup print PSA (right)has been snapped up forpro bono publishing in anumber of US magazines.

Urging everyone, every-where to help “fill thecup” on behalf of hungrychildren, Drew said: “I have seen with my own eyeswhat a difference a simple cup of nutritiousporridge can make in a child's life.”

Her donation kicked off WFP's challenge to Americato help feed 10 million children for a year. “Wehave a dream... to feed another 10 million hungryschool children in Africa by Thanksgiving Day,” saidJosette Sheeran.

WFP AMBASSADORSUPDATE

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Photo by David R. Barnes

DREW BARRYMORE DONATES US$1 MILLION TO WFP ON OPRAH

Ilham was in her classroom a week after school hadresumed for the second term, when her headmistress sentfor her and conducted what she felt was a strange interviewin the presence of the Northern Regional Girls' EducationOfficer. The next day, she was summoned again andinformed that she had been selected to be part of a groupof pupils who would accompany Ghana's President to WFP’sHeadquarters in Rome.

Twelve-year-old Ilham was born and raised in Bimbilla, asmall town in Ghana's Northern Region. She had nevertraveled outside Bimbilla, not even to Tamale, the northernregional capital and now she was about to discover Tamale,Accra (Ghana's capital), Rome and Milan - was this a dreamor reality in the making?

For those of us in the Country Office, the e-mail wereceived from Rome was as exciting as it wasdisconcerting. Our Executive Director had just invited thePresident of Ghana and Chairman of the African Union (at

the time), to give a keynote address to the ExecutiveBoard in Rome on 6 February 2008. Furthermore, he wasto be accompanied by Ghanaian schoolchildren who wouldperform songs and recitals about school feeding.

In the first week of January, we met with our partners inthe Ghana School Feeding Programme and an action planwas drawn up - three schoolchildren would be selectedfrom southern Ghana and three more from the north,where WFP supports the Ghana School FeedingProgramme. Two head teachers would accompany them aschaperones and a couple of government partners would beincluded in the delegation.

The real challenges were yet to come - none of thepeople we had selected had passports and the officialtime for processing them was three weeks. Worsethan that, they did not even possess birthcertificates - an essential requirement to apply for apassport.

The small Ghana Country Office could only afford toput two people on this schedule - the CountryDirector and myself, the Senior Public InformationAssistant.

With two other government partners, we put thewheels in motion working simultaneously onbudgets, tickets, passports, health insurance, visas,permission from parents, compositions andrehearsals, and programmes, right down to travelingbags. In the midst of all this, we had to find timeand compassion to calm one weepy child who feltlost among the lot.

We also had to solve the issue of clothing. Ourselection criteria specifying the mostdisadvantaged, articulate and confidentchildren seemed to have been followed sofaithfully that none of the children had decentclothes - definitely not warm enough clothesfor winter in Italy.

The Country Director gathered some of herfamily's used clothes, but a shopping list stillneeded to be drawn and the search began.Surprisingly, finding winter clothes in tropicalGhana was much simpler than we had expectedas there seemed to be a specialized market forthis.

Other heart stopping moments were rehearsaltimes. They performed perfectly one day andawful the next. In our anxious minds, theyseemed to deteriorate as D-Day grew closer.

Soon it was time to travel, so our delegation of 14 leftAccra on an Alitalia late night flight on Saturday 2February. For a group of children who had never traveledout of their hometowns and had never been or seen anairplane at close range, Ilham, Evans, Daniel, Wahilatu,Mabruk and Rashida were extremely well-behaved -curious, obedient and patient. In fact, they were a joy totravel with.

The event itself consisted of a performance of threesongs, a poem on school feeding and the children'spersonal statements on what they liked about school

feeding. The performance took place at the WFP ExecutiveBoard on Wednesday 6 February and received a rapturousapplause from Board members, the Ghanaian delegationand Headquarters staff.

All participants including H.E. President J. A. Kufuor,President of the Republic of Ghana and the WFP ExecutiveDirector, Josette Sheeran, were then treated to locallyproduced corn-soya blend porridge. Lunch at the cafeteriaincluded four typical Ghanaian school feeding dishes.

When we left Ghana, we had no idea we would beincluded in WFP’s launch of the Fill the Cup campaign butthe children's brilliant performance seemed to havecaptivated the Executive Director and so Ilham and Evanswere asked to join her, the President of Ghana, the Mayorof Milan and WFP Ambassador Kaká for the launch of thecampaign on 7 February in Milan.

We returned to Ghana on Friday bringing an end to ourfour-day whirlwind trip to Italy. When we visited Ilhamand some of the other children at Bimbilla a fortnightago, there were some people the children rememberedquite clearly - Anne Marie, Carla, Silvana, Francisco andseveral others at Headquarters - who were involved inorchestrating the event. “When will I ever have thechance to travel to Wonderland again?” Ilham askedwistfully.

As Trudy Bower, the Country Director leaves Ghana at theend of her duty tour, it seems to me now that the eventcould not have been better timed. Vera Boohene, Snr Reports/Information Assistant,Ghana

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TRIP TO WONDERLAND

From Indonesia to Guatemala, more than 250,000 peoplein 70 countries participated in the Walk the World

event on June 1,which was organisedby WFP togetherwith our largestcorporate partners,TNT and Unilever.The walk showcasedthe many faces ofhunger around theworld.

In Malawi, more than 50,000 people walked in 13districts, most of them schoolchildren who receive WFPmeals. The King of Swaziland joined thousands in thecapital, Mbabane. Tanzania had walks in six locationsacross the country, with over 12,000 participantsincluding the First Lady and Prime Minister.

Guatemala, a country where approximately half of allchildren are chronically malnourished, kicked off itsWalk on May 14th with the support of WFP HonorarySpokesperson Lauren Bush, with a turn-out of over20,000 people. Honduras saw the participation of morethan 30,000 in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

Under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma,Chairperson of the Jordanian National Alliance AgainstHunger, 8,000 participants walked five km across thecampus of the University of Jordan on May 12th in

support of Walk the World. InEgypt, the event was held underthe auspices of the First Lady.

Walks also took place in 70locations throughout 25European countries. Landmarksincluded Windsor Castle in theUK, Cologne Cathedral in Germany,Plac Pi sudskiego in Poland andthe Little Mermaid monumentin Denmark.

WALK THE WORLD 2008

Ghanaian school feeding beneficiaries Ilham and Evans stand by JosetteSheeran, the President of Ghana, the Mayor of Milan and Kaká during thelaunch of the FFiillll tthhee CCuupp campaign in Milan.

WFP school feeding beneficiaries in Ghana flew to Rome inFebruary to deliver an impressive perfomance about school

feeding at the WFP Executive Board meetings

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BODY AND SOULAN OPEN LOVE LETTER TO WFP STAFF WORLDWIDE FROM WENDY ELIZABETH PAETH, WFP HQI think we all know that it is our privilege to each be asmall part of a big solution to help the world's hungry andvulnerable. But do we sometimes take it for granted that weare a unique community - a sort of international smalltown? By the time you add up our individual countries oforigin, our ethnic roots (which are not always the same asour countries of origin), and the vast number of places wehave served WFP around the world, well, you have awonderful resource - all rolled together like a huge ball ofcolourful yarn. What will we do together? Will we makesomething big and beautiful?

The cancer journey - ormaybe I should say thejourney to be cured ofcancer - has been achallenging one, but ithas also been atremendously spiritualexperience for me. . . andit is still going on.History has shown thattimes of great collectivetragedy are often followedby an even greater spiritof reconciliation, whenpeople reach out to oneanother and feelconnection to theirneighbour.

The cancer journey has softened my heart in a similar way.If you knew me before, you might say that I had a kind of“joie de vivre”, but now it is much more than that. Maybepassing through cancer is like being assigned to a verytough duty station. You have to be there to get it. We talkabout “living in the moment” but that phrase is so overusedit is hard to capture the truth it conveys. You have to liveit in your skin. It is true for everyone that “it could all endtomorrow”.

Having cancer in your body is like having a piece of hatredor death inside of you. It also seems to bring a heightenedawareness of the power of love over hate, kindness overcruelty. You want the cancer out of you and you don't wantto fuel any more of it. Small acts of solidarity are enoughto live on.

Cancer researchers tell us that microscopic “chaoscreating/havoc wreaking” cells may lie dormant in ourbodies like little terrorists waiting to be activated. Theyhaven't determined yet just what gets them going.

We've all seen wonderful people suffer tragedies beyondtheir control no matter how brave and loving they havebeen in their lifetime. At the same time, I now know on avisceral level that I do not want any act over which I have

control to spark cancer/death within me - or hatredwithout. I want to create beauty, resonate withthankfulness and celebration, and find meaning in big andsmall things of value. I want the fluid within my cells toreverberate with life, with whatever it is that keeps theimmune system high, the body singing.

I also want the worldwide Body of WFP staff to reverberatewith life-affirming messages too, with focused work towardsour terrifically important mandate, yet also withcelebration, reconciliation, recognition of the individualand of the whole, and yes, a love for what we are as acommunity and for each other. The good stuff is alreadyamong us. We just have to activate it.

When I began the long and painful chemotherapy aftersurgery and before radiation - lost all of my hair, had totake steroids to prevent a fatal reaction to the chemo drugsand subsequently topped 200lbs, needed pain killersstronger than the kind that the pharmacist told me have“street value” in the USA, and wondered when I would getthrough the long, dark tunnel - the first colleagues Icontacted were the handful of WFP staff with whom I hadworked in Angola, during the war, in the early 1990s.Angola is not my only field experience, but it was the firstand the toughest. It was tremendously supportive to seeeach of them pop up in my inbox, from around the world,and to hear that they were standing with me, pulling forme.

I will always have a powerful connection to this group,because it was with them that I shared the intensity ofliving in the field in an emergency: of heightenedawareness, of great joy, great beauty and great tragedy.

Ironically, a month prior to my diagnosis I was at lunchwith two WFP colleagues reflecting on the richness of ourlives in our work around the world, and I said “this soundskind of weird, but if I were to die tomorrow, I have alreadylived a very rich life, probably all of us have, richer thanmany who live to a ripe old age”. Like many of us, I havepoignant memories saved to my mental “hard drive” - eachworthy of a poem or short story.

Being a cancer survivor has also been liberating. In yearspast, I would never have put myself in Pipeline, for our WFPworld to read. Will people find out what an idealistic softieI am? “Emotional” therefore incapable of analyticalthinking?

But now, what do I care if I sound goofy, optimistic, naïve?Maybe I am, but I see us all and we are beautiful.

We can leave the dynamics of power, politics andnationality aside for a second, or whatever else gets in ourway, and together, take the organization on to even betterthings.

Yes, I know this isn't the complete picture. While werepresent all countries, we certainly do not represent allsocio-economic groups. The mere fact of our being here andnot living under corrugated metal, worrying that ourchildren may die overnight of cerebral malaria, attests tothat. That's where our huge sense of personal responsibilitykicks in. We have received so much - we must give backmore.

Our beneficiaries so often display the most profoundevidence of the potential for generosity in the human spirit.We are humbled to know that we are no more worthy ofwhat we have than they are. (There but for the grace of Godgo I.)

We also know that our national staff are to be treasured andthat they and the international staff who serve at greatpersonal risk should be celebrated, even in small ways,whenever they pass through Rome or their RegionalBureaux.

Let's all work hard, play hard, be kind to one another andmake everything count.

And let us claim back the body and soul of WFP that wediscover when we serve together in the field. Let us bringit here to HQ.

I conclude with a quotation from Marianne Williamson: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepestfear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our lightnot our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves:Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Yourplaying small does not serve the world… "

“That's where our huge sense of personal responsibility kicks in.

We have received so much - we mustgive back more.”

FOR THE HEALTH OF WFP

If you would like to be part of an HQ “brainstorming” lunchor after-work meeting or would like to brainstorm and arenot in HQ, please send me an e-mail atwendy.paeth@wfp.org with “brainstorming Rome” in thesubject line.

Initial suggestions are: - Establish a staff-led “Welcome Rome” network for stafftransferring from the field or on TDY;

- If you are in HQ, attend the Thursday AM breakfastmeetings which are our opportunity to voice questions and

concerns in an open dialogue with management rather than just gathering about these topics in the corridor andlaunching into a downward spiral.

If you are uncomfortable raising a topic yourself, you canget your point across through a colleague or a staffrepresentative.

FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH

My cancer was found in a routine annual mammogram andI had no indication of any medical problem. I encourage allstaff to choose one place for all of your yearly medicalfollow-up and then commit to undertaking it following yourhealth care provider’s advice, at least, on an annual basis. Women - annual mammograms. Men - PSA blood tests which may signal prostate cancer inthe early stages. Men and women - colonoscopies - preventative medicine todetect and remove pre-cancerous colon cancer cells. And none of these exams is really so bad. Don't bedissuaded. It could save your life.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

July 2006, bald from chemothereapy and prior toradiation June 2008

“Passing through cancer is like being assigned to a very

tough duty station. You have to be there to get it.”

“And let us claim back the body and soul of WFP that we discover when we

serve together in the field. Let us bring it here to HQ.”

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November 23rd, 2006, is a date etched into AbuHaitham's* memory. It was the day his life in Iraq endedand he has closed his mind ever to going back. As far ashe is concerned, there is nothing to go back for. Most ofhis close relatives are dead and he considers himselfextremely fortunate to be alive himself and to haveescaped the country with his wife and four children.

Was it a general deterioration of conditions and securitythat persuaded him to leave or was there one decidingfactor?

“I could say the determining moment was when theythrew a bomb into my house,” he explained wryly.

Until August 2003, life had not been bad for the Haithamfamily. Discharged from the army on medical grounds in1994, Abu had gone into the restaurant business and roseup to be restaurant manager at one of the top hotels inBaghdad. Among his regular customers was the thenSpecial Representative of the Secretary General, SergioVieira de Mello.

But after the August 19 bombing of the UN mission at theCanal Hotel, the restaurant business in Baghdadcollapsed. The international clientele disappearedovernight, while the dwindling number of prosperousIraqi customers preferred to stay at home.

However, moving from job to job, Abu was still able toprovide for his family and run his Mercedes car. And whilesecurity was a constant concern, it seemed worth holdingon and trying to weather the storm.

But in 2006, the atmosphere changed, with the turningpoint the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra inFebruary, sparking a wave of sectarian violence across thecountry. The Haithams, themselves Sunni, lived in a

mixed area of Baghdad and until then had alwaysmaintained good relations with their Shi'a neighbours.But friendship and mutual tolerance swiftly turned intosuspicion and outright hostility. And then one day Abugot a phone call. He had 48 hours to move out, or elsehe would be killed.

“Things were getting very bad by then. My sister'shusband was shot dead in the street. My nephew, whoworked as an interpreter for the Americans, was killed.Another nephew was caught in crossfire. It was toodangerous for us even to go and retrieve his body fromthe street. And then my brother was killed, along with hiswhole family - his wife, son and daughter.”

He found another house for his family, but this time itwas in the heart of a Shi'a area. “It didn't make muchdifference - I would have been just as unsafe in a Sunniarea if people didn't know me.”

But the threats soon started and one evening he saw agroup of men with AK-47s standing outside the entranceto the house. The family started to pack their belongings,planning to move out first thing in the morning. But at1.30 a.m., the bomb exploded, destroying the Mercedesand leaving Abu, who was sleeping by the threshold, withcuts and bruises from falling furniture. Fortunately therest of his family were unscathed.

“I didn't know what to do. I knew therewere armed men out there, waiting for me.So I called a Shi'a friend, who told me staywhere I was and wait.” The friend showedup in his car an hour later, bringing withhim the leader of the local militia. “Thisbig man said he would give me until 5.30a.m. to leave. My family could followlater.”

The Shi'a friend drove him to the centralbus station, from where he took a bus tothe northern city of Kirkuk, where hewaited for his family to join him beforethey travelled together to Damascus.

Now they share a two-room apartment inthe Harasta area of the city, home to many

Iraqi refugees, attracted by the relatively low rents. Abuconsiders himself lucky to have found a job, welding andhammering steel in a workshop. But with his back injuryfrom his army days, he is not sure how long he cancontinue the heavy work. His income barely covers therent, but he scrapes together enough to send his childrento school, buy them books and uniforms.

His hope is for resettlement in a third country -preferably the United States, where his fluent Englishwould be an asset. “It's not so much for me - at 41, Ihave had much of my life already. But I so want mychildren to have a real future.”

The WFP food distributions he receives are a lifeline,without which he cannot imagine how he would meet hisother expenses. But was the food basket sufficient?Would he prefer different commodities at the same cost?

“In my previous life, I could eat whatever I liked,whenever I liked. Now I am a refugee; I don't have theright to make choices.”

Abu Haitham was interviewed by Robin Lodge, PublicInformation Officer, WFP Iraq* Not his real name

ABU’SSTORY

Thoko PotipharChimbali, a 28-year-old WFP LogisticsAssistant, set offbright and early onthe morning of 26May from his dutystation in Blantyre,Malawi for amarathon cycle ridein support of thecountry's schoolfeeding programme.

Over the next fivedays and 350 kmlater, Thoko madesteady headway,pedaling in and out

of Zomba, Balaka, Ntcheu and Dedza before reaching thecapital, Lilongwe, on Friday, 30 May. His motivation forthis test of strength and endurance? “I thought I wouldgo that extra mile - beyond the annual Walk the World,”he said.

Thoko had never cycled so far before, but theoverwhelming support and encouragement of hiscolleagues and the public helped him overcome anymisgivings.

“It was a new idea for WFP and I was concerned that if Ifailed, future initiatives might not be so readilysupported,” he said.

A WFP vehicle followed the intrepid logistician to ensurehis safety and provide snacks and drinks between stops.On the final leg, some 15 km outside central Lilongwe, hewas joined by a group of WFP staffers.

“Approaching the finish line was thrilling and rewarding,“said Thoko. “As I got closer to Kang'ombe Building, I sawmy colleagues stopping the traffic and heard musicgetting louder. People were dancing, cheering andcrowding around me - it was amazing!”

Thoko hopes to raise MK300,000 (approximatelyUS$2,125) for school feeding - a target he looks set toachieve based on the number of pledges he received. “Itonly costs MK17.00 (US$0.12) to provide a child with ahealthy bowl of porridge here in Malawi,” he said.

WFP Country Director Dom Scalpelli described Chimbali asa hero and encouraged others to follow his example. Thiscyclist-against-hunger says he is determined to make thelong-distance ride an annual event.

Take note couch potatoes - he is on the look out forpedalling participation next year!

WFP has supported the Government of Malawi's schoolfeeding programme since 1999, and currently provides adaily bowl of nutritious porridge to over 635,000 childrenin 679 schools across 13 districts.

THOKO “BIKES THAT EXTRA MILE” FOR SCHOOL FEEDING

Abu Haitham at his temporary home in Damascus with his two sons

GORILLA GIRLWFP Rwanda Representative Maarit Hirvonen was amongthose invited to name one of 20 endangered mountaingorillas in Rwanda. Gatungura, meaning “surprise”, wasthe name given to a baby gorilla during a colourful eventpresided over by Prime Minister Bernard Makuza andother guests including First Lady Jeanette Kagame. “It isa surprise and honour for WFP and the UN family to namea gorilla that had disappeared in the Uganda and Congoparks,” said Maarit.

Since 2005, 85 gorillas have been named, making iteasier for wardens to track and monitor them. Last year,US$42.3 million was generated by tourism with gorillasbeing the main attraction.

WFP, IFAD, FAO as well as NGOs and the European Unionall support the Rwanda Government in its commitment toconserve both wildlife and the environment throughradical terracing, tree planting, watershed managementand provision of agricultural inputs and tools to increaseagricultural production.

“People were dancing, cheering andcrowding around me - it was amazing”

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When Valerie Sequeiraarrived in Luanda inJanuary 1976, it was afar cry from theacademic life she hadprepared herself for afew years earlier,while studyingsociology at theUniversity of Birmin-gham. Angola was atwar; shops andrestaurants in thecapital were closed.The first night, sheand her husband,Bernardino, dug clamsfrom the beach for“spaghetti allevongole”.

Over the coming months, life got a little easier. They had agood apartment, but had to sleep in the marble bathroom, toprotect themselves against incoming rockets.

Valerie's experience with WFP had actually started in late1974, after moving to Zambia, where Bernardino had taken ajob lecturing at the University of Lusaka. Of Angolan-Portuguese parentage, his family had left Angola in the 1960sand returned to live in Portugal.

Valerie's relationship with WFP was far from planned. At achance meeting with a UNDP desk officer in Luanda, sheheard that something called the World Food Programme waslooking for a Portuguese speaker to help look after Angolanrefugees in northwest Zambia. So she signed on as a short-term Programme Assistant.

This led to a fixed-term contract the following year. And sothings might have progressed, had it not been for a startlingturn of events. In November, the new MPLA-led governmentin Angola, invited Bernardino home to take part in therebuilding of the country. It was an opportunity he had longbeen waiting for, but there were no WFP jobs for Valerie inLuanda. She resigned.

Getting to Luanda in those days was no easy matter. But asluck would have it, the Yugoslav Government had decided toairlift maize to a group of Namibian refugees in Angola andsent a transport plane from Mozambique, via Lusaka, toLuanda. Valerie hitched a lift. Even then, it was hardlystraightforward.

The plane developed serious engine trouble and had to returnto Lusaka. At that stage, the Yugoslavs on board lost theirtaste for the trip. But having got her ride, Valerie wasdetermined to stick with it and eventually arrived, withoutfurther mishaps, in Luanda.

She did not stay unemployed long. Through UNDP, she tookanother short-term contract for WFP, working on fooddistributions and monitoring. A UN assessment missionarrived in Luanda in 1976, including two WFP staffers, whohad instructions to talk to her about an internationalassignment in Angola. That eventually came to fruition aftertwo weeks of interviews in Rome in April 1977. She went backto Luanda as a fully-fledged P2 Programme Officer and stayedthere until 1981.

“I have to say that I fell in love with WFP at that firstencounter in Rome. It was one big family - and it's still likethat despite the enormous growth since then.”

In January 1981, she became the Rome HQ Desk Officer forAngola under what was then WPMA, Programme Managementfor Africa. Bernardino, in the meantime, had somewhatfortuitously been appointed to the Angolan Embassy in Rome.

The next 10 years were at HQ, by which time she was longingto get back to the field. In 1991, she got what she wantedand was appointed Area Director for the Eastern Caribbean,based in Barbados. She recalls with particular pleasure thesuccess of the school feeding programme there.

“When we left in '93, the guy who came to pack our thingssaid: 'I'm not going to charge you for this, because I owe myeducation and job to WFP.'”

For the rest of her career, Valerie was to remain at HQ. In1997, she applied for Mozambique - a yearning to go back toPortuguese-speaking Africa - but Jean-Jacques Graissepersuaded her to take on the job of Secretary of the ExecutiveBoard. Her first instinct was to reject it outright, but she nowlooks back at it as one of her best times in WFP.

From there to become Catherine Bertini's Chief of Staff in1999 - “Tun Myat advised me to use all the skill I had and,above all, to develop a thick skin!” - and finally to Head ofResources.

Any final reflections: “I have loved this job. I think itcoincided with the realization that I could do somethingcompletely different, that the organization was using me fora skill set that I didn't know I had - but they got it right.”

DIGGING VONGOLE TO DINING WITH DONORS:

VALERIE SEQUEIRAFREE RICE

The award-winning Internet word game FreeRice, inwhich correct answers translate into rice for thehungry, has generated enough rice to feed twomillion beneficiaries for a day since its launch inOctober 2007.

For those of you who don't know, FreeRice is asmart web initiative in which a 'magic triangle' iscreated between the public, big companies and WFP.People play the word quiz game and every time theyget a right answer, 20 grains of rice goes to WFP tofeed the hungry.

Corporations pay for the rice and in return they getthe visibility of having their banners appear on thesite and also the kudos of working with WFP on itshumanitarian mission.

Part of the secret of FreeRice's success is that itgives online players a sense of giving whilecorporations foot the bill to feed the world's poor. Itmakes the office worker in Singapore, the housewifein London or the bored student in Rome feel a littlebit like Robin Hood.

Regardless of the reason, its success with the webpublic has already been recognised in many ways. Ithas already won two web awards and in June madethe top 10 in Time magazine's online poll on theBest Websites of 2008.

In brass tacks terms, it has generated a milliondollars in contributions from sponsors.

But as John Breen, FreeRice's creator says, the bigwin is not so much the money, or even the rice. Itis the visibility given to the issue of hunger. Withup to half a million people playing every day, andmore coming all the time, the word is getting out.

And it's reaching a young, web-savvy audience madeof people who will probably soon be in positions ofpower. No price can be put on the achievement ofreaching these people.

As you can see, there’s nothing bad to say aboutFreeRice. But don't take it from us! If you haven'tplayed, go check it out (FreeRice.com). The word isthat, thanks to some additions that are currentlyunder wraps, it's soon going to become even moreaddictive.

By Martin Penner, OEDC

In Senegal, traditional wrestling or lutte, is more thanjust a sport - it is a culture with traditions, reserved forthe initiated. Lutte also has its own newspaperwhich recently featured a white face under theheading, "Edmondo, the European, makes theshow". There was a photo of Edmondo Perrone, 28,who is one of three Italians currently with WFP inWest Africa, as part of the UN Italian fellowshipprogramme; he is working in the logistics section ofour Senegal Country Office.

So, after a hard day's work conducting logisticscapacity assessments, or a trip to Dakar port to seehow to recover a container that has fallen into thesea, Edmondo goes training with Senegalesewrestlers. Before a match, the team of wrestlerswarm up with some traditional, mystical dancesteps. Edmondo was part of a lutteur team in amatch recently, and so he did the steps - to muchcheering and applause from the crowd.

"I used to do Greco-Roman wrestling in Italy and thissport is a passion for me," says Edmondo. “I went to see

a wrestling game here and looked for a club to train.Wrestlers in the club checked that I was really interested

and made me wait a while, then I was allowed to jointhe training and I felt really accepted."

Edmondo's wrestling is more than just an anecdote ina newspaper, it is a real success in fast-trackintegration for a toubab (white person) in Senegal. "Iam invited out to eat. People see me as part of theteam and really appreciate discussing different typesof wrestling. I am here to know people and theirculture and I feel really privileged to have such awarm welcome."

When will Edmondo feature in a game against aSenegalese lutteur? Maybe a big star such as"Bombardier B52"? "Hmmm… maybe next year, whoknows?" smiles Edmondo, as he treats his recentinjuries from the latest training.

Valerie Sequeira, retired in 2007after 32 years with WFP

WFP

/Pho

tolir

ary

AN ITALIAN GLADIATOR ENTERS THE ARENA IN SENEGAL

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MOVEABLE FEASTSA book about the transport of food by Sarah MurrayReviewed by Nate Hoblitz

Pick up a bottle of your favourite 'Italian' olive oil at thesupermarket and you might smile at the thought of savouringsomething timeless - assuming, of course, you like olive oil.What you are buying is steeped in tradition, and enjoying itbrings you closer to the past than you might realise.

It's likely that the golden liquid, despite the label, is notItalian at all but merely blended and bottled there. Itprobably began life in the vast olive groves of Spain (arounda quarter of the world's olive oil can be traced to Andalusiaalone), or arrived for processing in Italy from distant placeslike South Africa or California.

The ancient Romans were prolific importers of olive oil - in particular the Spanishvariety. Monte Testaccio, a small hill in modern Rome, is testament to theirvoracious appetite for the stuff - the Monte is actually a giant dump, made up ofmillions of pieces of Roman amphorae, often still bearing the names of theirancient producers. This intriguing account - one of many on the surprising mobilityof virtually everything we eat - is in Moveable Feasts. It is a delightful book whichnotes that the seminal impact of travelling food on taste, culture and even globalpolitics is often overlooked. Sarah Murray sets out to ensure that it is not.

As an illustration, the author fills her imaginary shopping basket with typicalsupermarket items like Spanish olive oil, Norwegian salmon, Italian tinnedtomatoes, Guatemalan bananas, Californian chardonnay, and some low fat yogurt ofindeterminate origin. Moveable Feasts tells the story of each of these items and thegreat lengths (literally) involved in making them available to us. What emerges isa fascinating insight into how, often unnoticed, forms of transport and greatingenuity have shaped the way we look at food and even influence what we like toeat.

Take that yogurt. Murray brings us to the vast deserts of eastern Asia for a look atthe culinary traditions of nomadic peoples in Mongolia. So nutritious and varied istheir dairy produce - from cheese and curds to yogurt and mare’s milk - that theycan survive on a diet virtually excluding vegetables. Carried by millions of hoovesand feet, their mobile pantries are depleted and restocked, in a timeless cycle,across the migration routes of the great steppes. Unless, of course, you are inMongolia, the yogurt in the fridge of your local shop is unlikely to have come fromthere - and will not be nearly so nutritious - but it is likely to be as well travelled.

Given the logistical complexities of transporting food, the author might have beentempted to fall back on dry facts and figures. But a keen eye for interesting storiesand the human face behind them provides us with some lively and thought-provoking fare - the reader's appetite is always maintained. And there's plenty oftopical interest here too, especially for those concerned about the carbon footprintof their favourite foods. Especially impressive is Murray's ability to turn things ofno apparent interest - shipping containers spring to mind - into something worthyof note. The humble barrel is not just an efficient means of historic transport butalso one of great influence on the tastes of liquids - a relationship all those whoenjoy whisky must be thankful for. Even basic pre-packed foods have a curiouslyinteresting connection with, of all things, great military minds.

For those connected with WFP, the final chapter which describes a food airdrop inSouth Sudan is of particular interest. Although WFP no longer carries out airdropsthere, Murray's depiction of the rattle of an Antonov 12 as it soars over the dropzone, or of the little town of Lokichoggio - complete with WFP's thatch-roofed radioroom - give a glimpse of the dedication shown daily by some of our colleagues inthe field.

Moveable Feasts revels in the majesty of human ingenuity and how it is reflected inwhat we eat. Against a backdrop of 854 million chronically hungry in the world, itmakes you wonder what effect we could have if such determination and imaginationwere applied to ensuring that no one went to bed on an empty stomach - so thatchronic hunger could really become a thing of the past, like the shards of MonteTestaccio. Food for thought and something we can all sink our teeth into.

Nimdoma Sherpa, a formerbeneficiary of WFP’s schoolfeeding programme, joinedthe largest team of all-Nepaliwomen to climb MountEverest this past April.

“It is amazing to think howfar I have come. WFP wasthere to motivate me to beginmy schooling and is now supporting me and this amazing group of women fromacross Nepal to achieve ourdream of reaching the top ofthe world,” said Nimdoma.

Salvatore Lucia is all about food. Firstly, he's Italian, so pasta and other gourmetdelights are high on his list of priorities. Then, as a supply-chain expert for Unilever, heis responsible for buying the 60,000 MT of tomatoes that go into the multinational'smany sauces and soups every year. This is a man who's passionate about tomatoes andother primary ingredients. But recently, Salvatore took a different look at food: he washelping WFP get cups of porridge to hungry kids in Ghana.

The supply manager was on secondment with WFP for four months at the end of last yearas part of the Unilever-WFP “Together for Child Vitality” partnership. One element of thepartnership is the sharing of human resources and expert knowledge. Thus, Salvatore was“on loan” to WFP to work on a specific project: helping the WFP Country Office purchasefood locally for the government-run school feeding programme. It wasn't an easy project,says Salvatore, and at times he felt a bit like James Bond on a “mission impossible”.Maize crops kept testing positive for toxic substances due to poor harvest and storageconditions. Small-scale oil-producers' stalls doubled as chicken coops and goat pens,with less-than-hygienic results. Salvatore had his work cut out for him.

In true special agent style, for his first mission he jettedback to Italy to a high-tech research centre in Trieste.There might not have been underground bunkers or poolsof piranhas, but what the facility did produce was testingkits for the toxins present in the Ghanaian maize. Salvatorereturned to train local staff in the use of the kit, and nowbad maize can be identified before it is mixed up with goodmaize, and its origins can be traced. Three months afterSalvatore arrived in Ghana, the first trucks of usable,locally-sourced CSB started rumbling into town. “It's sosatisfying to have tangible results,” he says. “And mostimportantly - now kids are eating.”

Finding cooking oil that could be used for school feedingdistribution proved similarly complicated. A few excursionsaround the country showed Salvatore that while Ghana is

thirsty for palm nut oil and there are many local producers, their hygiene standards werenot acceptable for WFP. Salvatore decided to find out how Unilever handles this issue inproducing its nationally popular Frytol oil - and paid a visit to the Unilever plantationsand processing factory. This vast estate includes housing for management andemployees, thousands of hectares of palm trees, a school, and… a golf course. Ever theNeapolitan businessman, Salvatore decided to learn to play golf and cut a deal. A fewmonths later WFP was buying locally grown and produced palm nut oil of internationalstandards at cost from Unilever. “And I actually really enjoyed the golf,” says Salvatorewith a clever smile. “But it's too expensive to play in Italy - I think I'll have to go backto Ghana every few months to 'check on the project'…”By Silke Buhr, OEDC

WFPact organises assignments like Salvatore’s to offer expertise and capacity support in theareas of logistics, marketing, finance, human resources, nutrition, IT, communication,project management, business analysis and strategy through partnering. If you’re interestedin getting this additional human resource support contact AskHR.

UNILEVER’S MR POMODORO

Worldwide Unilever tomatoexpert, Salvatore Lucia

SALVATORE’S PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE - GHANAIAN-ITALIAN STYLE

The basis of any Italian pasta sauce is the “soffritto”. This word and technique iscompletely unknown in the rest of the world, but it is the basis of many Italian savourydishes, and definitely of all tomato sauces. Palm oil gives this dish a dark red colour,which is something we Italians aspire to but is difficult to obtain with the tomatoeswe use - it takes on more of an orange colour, and so we tend to cook the sauce longerto get a deeper colour, but this changes the flavour of the sauce...

This dish will be an amazing experience for Italians, since most don't believe that theirnational dish - spaghetti with tomato sauce - can be improved…. Some Italians mightfind the shift from extra virgin olive oil to red palm oil too shocking, so the recipe canbe adjusted to using 50% palm oil and 50% olive oil. The only problem is washing thedishes afterwards. The deep red colour seems to penetrate the plate itself, so you needto wash it really well or soak it for a couple of hours.

Recipe serves two (or one “old-style” Italian farmer from the south):• Heat 2-3 spoons of palm oil in a pan (if youuse local oil make sure you shake the bottlebecause it tends to settle);• Add chopped onion (make sure the piecesare all more or less the same size or you'll endup with some pieces burnt and some raw);• Keep the pan on a medium heat (not too lowbut not too high because if the onion burns itwill leave a burnt taste throughout the sauce);• Cut 300g of fresh tomatoes into cubes;• When the onion starts to colour, add thetomatos to the pan and a pinch of salt. (Theonion shouldn't be too pale nor burnt - thebrowning stage of the onion is the momentwhen it starts changing colour but before itstarts burning. This is a critical moment andyou need to pay attention to identify it!Italians start their training in this at a veryyoung age…);• Stir frequently to avoid the sauce gettingstuck on the bottom of the saucepan and cookfor 20-30 minutes.

In the meantime…• Bring about 1 litre of water to boil. When itis boiling, add salt;• Add the pasta. According to today's Italian“standards”, a portion of pasta is about 80gper person. But a few years ago the averageItalian ate about 150g of pasta. But lifechanges… and wheat is becoming moreexpensive… Maybe for a non-Italian 60-70gwould be enough;• Once you've thrown the pasta in the waterput the lid back on to bring the water back tothe boil. Stir frequently to avoid it sticking;• Cook according to the package instructions,but drain the pasta ONE minute before it sayson the package. This is important;**Don't forget to stir the sauce while you'recooking the pasta!**• Tip the pasta into the sauce (which shouldbe on the heat) and mix well. Cook the pastain the heat of the sauce for the remainingminute. Serve the pasta and buon appetito.

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The first version of WFP's information system, WINGS (WFPInformation Network and Global System) is used dailyacross the organisation. Whether it's a Country Directorrequesting a personnel action for one of their staff; aLogistics Officer checking on the status of a purchaseorder or LTSH balance; a Finance Officer checking thebudget or outstanding payables; or a Programme Officerchecking the outstanding balance of their projects - theyall rely on WINGS.

But WINGS is now more than 10 years old and, like allinformation systems, it needs to be upgraded. The newversion, WINGS II, will “Go Live” throughout WFP at thebeginning of January 2009.

Susana Malcorra, DeputyExecutive Director and ChiefOperating Officer recentlyleft WFP to head theDepartment of Field Services(DFS), UN Peacekeeping,New York. On her departure,the ED appointed three co-owners: Amir Abdulla, CFO,(Chief Financial Officer),Ramiro Lopez Da Silva, theDeputy COO (Chief OperatingOfficer) and Manuel ArandaDa Silva, Senior Advisor tothe Executive Director.

Pipeline asked SusanaMalcorra and Amir Abdulla a few questions about WINGS II:

Susana Malcorra was asked about the project, on theeve of her departure for New York.

SM: WINGS II is an institutional project not a personalone so my departure will change nothing. Amir and I havebeen co-owners since the beginning and have a sharedpassion and vision for WINGS II.

Amir first represented operations and I was representingAdmin and Finance. Then we switched places and he tookthe CFO position and I took over Operations and Admin.The three person co-ownership team put in place by theED will guide the project to successful completion as thestructure covers all critical business areas.

Ramiro, one of the new Project co-owners, has been onboard since the beginning as the Business Process Ownerfor the supply chain (logistics) area and I would like torecognise his contribution.

He has been instrumental in how we are going to meetthe most critical piece of our IPSAS (International PublicSector Accounting Standards) compliance which is thevaluation of our inventories which will always be thelargest in monetary terms. For example we started theyear in 2008 with commodity stocks valued atUS$500,000,000.

The newcomer is Manuel who was RD in West Africa whenthe current WINGS was rolled out and he was pivotal toits success in that region. He understands and appreciatesvery well the strategic importance of information systemsto WFP's mission and I have no doubt that he will providethe necessary support and leadership to the project.

WINGS II was well underway before the arrival of thecurrent ED but she understands its importance to WFP andthat is why she has decided that the Operating Committeeof the organisation will also collectively own and overseethe implementation of WINGS II.

How much will WINGS II cost and what is its strategicimportance to WFP?

SM: The upgrade of the WINGS system is estimated atUS$49 million. This allocation reflects the importanceWFP's Executive Board places on this project, following itclosely and receiving progress reports at every Boardsession.

When I arrived in 2003-2004, the upgrade to WINGS wasalready in the works. Initially intended to be a technicalupgrade, we decided to go for a business-driven project. Thus, WINGS II was planned as a long-term investment.This is because we care about the organisation and wantto continue to find better ways of serving ourbeneficiaries.

Once such a decision is taken, it goes beyond short-termbudget struggles. The Board really cares that WFP iseffective and efficient - and transparent. WINGS II willbring WFP closer to that ideal and therefore is aworthwhile investment.

What would you hope tosee if you visited us inJune next year?

SM: I would hope that thechangeover from the currentsystem to the new one hadgone relatively well and thatafter a few months, thingswould be running smoothlyand that staff could see itsvalue in their daily work.

Amir Abdulla on why we aredoing WINGS II:

WINGS has become criticalfor WFP's business and is amajor factor in our being

able to operate as a decentralised organisation. RegionalDirectors, Country Directors, Finance Officers, LogisticsOfficers, Programme Officers in bureaux and countriesremote from HQ are all able to look at exactly the sameinformation at the same time and run the same reports.

But, like all information systems, WINGS needs to keeppace with developments in technology and use new toolssuch as the internet. Thisallows for better interfacebetween the system and theuser, more user-friendlyscreens and betterintegration - permitting usto store and manage ourinformation more efficiently.

The current system -particularly on the project,programme and financesides - needs to upgrade toa newer version of SAP, thesoftware it's based on. It isabsolutely essential that wereinvest in the huge firstinvestment to ensure that itremains current and strong.

Second, our business has evolved; the systems we're nowusing are from designs that are more than 10 years old.We are now less than six months from Go Live with WINGSII, but the WINGS II Project is actually heading into itsthird year. These things take time.

Third, and perhaps only those who are more technicallyinvolved and closer to the project will know, is when weimplemented the current WINGS, we were trying to makethe system work for us rather than look at what waswrong with our business practices.

Time has shown that we might have been served better ifwe had changed the way we do business rather thanchanged the system. The companies that make thesesystems, whether it's SAP or ORACLE, work for hundreds ofcorporations worldwide and adapt them to meet bestbusiness practices.

So if you find yourself doing something completely atodds with the system, you need to rethink. We're beingmore stringent; we believe that we will have a more user-friendly system which will also be more attuned to current

WFP business practices - and able to evolve with ourfuture needs. It's a web world out there and WFP has tomake an effort to keep up. WFP is on the crest of a waveand WINGS II will keep us there.

How will people in the field benefit from the upgrade?

AA: The way in which the current WINGS system has beenrolled out in Country Offices, and in some instances evento Sub-Offices where connectivity exists, has been one ofthe really big success stories of WFP's informationmanagement efforts. The CO's today have got used tohaving a level of information that was unthinkable six orseven years ago and they need to be able to keep thatreporting level and the ability to manage their operations.They need to be kept closely involved not only as we testto ensure that the systems work seamlessly across thedifferent functions, but also during roll-out andparticularly in training.

Another benefit for staff in the field is in HR. The currentsystem focuses on International Staff and Staff at HQ. InWINGS II, the new HR system will have all WFP staffwherever they are in the world in one central database.This means not only staff in every CO but every Sub-Officetoo.

This isn't to say that under WINGS I WFP didn't know whoits employees were. However, there were multiple systemsneeding to be brought together manually. In the newsystem, details of all WFP employees will be availablecorporately and equally to allow for better career planningand management of our most precious resource - ourstaff.

WINGS I was introduced over several years but WINGSII is going live in all WFP CO's on the same day. Whatdoes that mean?

AA: WFP did not have an integrated and organization-wide system prior to WINGSso the system had to beintroduced gradually. Butnow the system has beenintegrated for some years,it's best that the switchoverfrom WINGS to WINGS IIhappens simultaneouslyeverywhere.

Other things have changedtoo; electronic training isnow widely accepted as partof the online educationboom and WFP has alreadysuccessfully piloted this.

Staff will also be supportedby “local process experts” -

people in the field trained on WINGS II. There will also beonline support. I'm confident that the WINGS II electronictraining will prove how staff can adapt.

What does your involvement with WINGS II mean toyou personally?

AA: I feel both honoured and excited that I've been giventhe administrative lead in directly supervising those whoare actually implementing the project and working closelywith Chris Nikoi and Ernesto Baca as we release WINGS II.

It brings me back to what was probably the most excitingjob I've had in WFP. I was doing Chris's job as the Directorof FMIP (Financial Management Improvement Programme)and WINGS was its chief product.

As well as being exciting, it was also one of the mostsatisfying and scary jobs I've ever had. Deciding when togo live - to say: “The system is ready. It will work.” Sevenor eight years later it's still running so I suppose it wasthe right decision.

We would like to have your feedback. Please send yourcomments or questions to wings2@wfp.org

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KEEPING WFP ON THE CREST OF THE WAVE

Susana Malcorra, former DED and COO, who has recently leftWFP for the Big Apple, with Chris Nikoi. She is leaving theimplementation of WINGS II in good hands.

WINGS II champion Amir Abdulla and Project Director ChrisNikoi are pushing forward with a new user-friendly systemwhich will be more attuned to current WFP business practices.

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Ms Acutt, Susan, G-6, Senior Staff Assistant, ODO Office of the Director of OperationsMr Adlard, Gordon Harry, P-3, Air Transport Officer, OMS Sudan, JubaMr Ares, Paul, D-1, Grants Manager, OM Operations Management DepartmentMr Bagirishya, Justin, D-1, Sr DCD & Coordinator for South Sudan, OMS Sudan, JubaMr Basil, Luay, P-5, Senior Regional Programme Adviser, OMC Regional Bureau CairoMs Bell-Trippa, Judith, G-6, Senior Staff Assistant, OML Division of LogisticsMs Berthiaume, Christiane, P-5, Public Affairs Officer, OEDCG Liaison Office GenevaMs Bertram, June, G-6, Senior Staff Assistant, OMH Human Resources DivisionMr Bhatti, Abdul Jabbar, P-3, Logistics Officer, OMB Indonesia, Banda AcehMr Bojang, Bai, P-4, Programme Officer, OMK Kenya, NairobiMs Bolamu, Bavisere Colette, P-2, Finance Officer, OMD Burkina Faso, OuagadougouMr Breivik, Arnt, D-1, Logistics Officer, UNJLC U.N. Joint Logistics CentreMr Buckley, Patrick, D-1, Country Director, ODK Tanzania, Dar Es SalaamMr Cebron, Jean-Pierre, D-1, Deputy Regional Director, OMD Cameroon, YaoundeMr Ceesay, Sana M., P-3, Programme Coordinator, OMK Sub-Regional Bureau KampalaMr Chowdhury, Abdur Rahman, D-1, Country Director, OMK Eritrea, AsmaraMr Compaore, Assamis, P-3, Logistics Officer, OMD Chad, NdjamenaMr De Castro, Samuel, P-3, Programme Officer (Head of Sub-Office), OMS Sudan, AweilMr De Kock, Abraham Marthinus, P-5, Head of Programme, ODB Bangladesh, DhakaMr Farrell, Kevin, D-2, Country Director, OMJ Zimbabwe, HarareMr Fraser, Angus, P-4, Logistics Officer, OMD Central African Republic, BanguiMr Gebretsadik, Belay Atlaw, P-2, Logistics Officer, OMD Ghana, AccraMr Graisse, Jean-Jacques, ASG, Senior Deputy Executive Director, OD Operations DepartmentMr Guyon Le Bouffy, Philippe, P-5, Country Director, ODD Guinea, ConakryMs Hall, Jacqueline, G-6, Administrative Assistant, ADHOE Entitlements and BenefitsMr Hashi, Jama, G-6, Programme Assistant, OMJ Reg. Bureau Johannesburg/Kampala

Ms Honorati-Zucconi, Donatella, G-5, Programme Clerk, ODMP Programming ServiceMr Katsaros, Ioannis Emmanouel, P-4, Logistics Off., OMLF Freight Analysis & Support BranchMs Lovon Castro, Margarita, P-4, Regional Assessment Off., OMP Regional Bureau Panama CityMs Malcorra, Susana Mabel, ASG, Deputy Executive Director (Admin), OM OperationsManagement DepartmentMs Mitchell, Arlene, D-2, Director, OED Office of Executive DirectorMr Mulalic, Nedzad, P-3, Security Officer, OMS Sudan, NyalaMr Nguyen, Van Nguyen, P-3, Logistics Officer, OMS Sudan, El GeneinaMr Nordby, Craig Roger, P-4, Internal Auditor, OSDA Office of Internal AuditMr Pilja, Stevan, P-4, Logistics Officer (Air Operations), OMB Afghanistan, KabulMs Powell, Katarina Maria, P-4, Logistics Officer, OMJ Mozambique, MaputoMr Rowe, Trevor, D-1, Public Information Officer, OMP Regional Bureau Panama CityMr Schjolberg, Einar, P-4, Logistics Officer, OMLL Logistics Services BranchMr Simon, George-Andre, P-4, Info Systems/Development Specialist, OEDP Policy, Planning& Strategy DivisionMs Sportis, Cecile, D-1, Director, REGP Liaison Office ParisMs Strauss, Anne, P-5, Chief, OEDP Policy, Planning &Strategy DivisionMr Van Dijk, Gerard, D-1, Country Director, OMK Burundi, BujumburaMr Vejlstrup, Mads Peder Vagn G., P-2, Logistics Officer, OMB Sri Lanka, ColomboMr Vercken, Arnold, D-1, Country Director, OMC Occ.Palestinian Ter., East JerusalemMs Waeschle, Annemarie, P-5, Senior Evaluation Officer, OEDE Office of Evaluation

WWFFPP SSEEPPAARRAATTIIOONNSS01/12/2007 through 30/06/2008

WWFFPP OOBBIITTUUAARRIIEESS01/12/2007 through 30/06/2008

Mr Chirara, Silence, P-2, Logistics Officer, OMS Kenya, Lokichoggio (outposted Sud Off.)Ms Larsdotter, Linda Charlotte, P-2, JPO Programme Officer, OMK Sub-Reg, Bureau KampalaMs Luna, Gene, P-2, Finance Officer, ODC Algeria, Algiers

FOUR WEDDINGS AND THE FIELD It's not unusual that WFP staffers find true love while working in the field. It's alsonot unusual that cupid strikes those doing similar kinds of work. What is unusual isthat four WFP PI Officers, from different corners of the world, tied the knot this yearalmost back-to-back. By Brenda Barton, Deputy Director, OEDC.

Mike Huggins, a long-time PI officer in Rome and SouthernAfrica, recently-turned Programme Officer and head of an area-office in eastern Sri Lanka, married Fabiana Maffeis in March.They met and fell in love in Trincomalee, their duty station, soit was only right that when they finally tied the knot theydonned traditional Hindu attire and celebrated with friendsand colleagues. It may also have been the first WFP weddingto take place in a Phase Three posting!

Richard Lee, WFP's PI Officer in Johannesburg, met hisFrench wife Gael at the regional UN offices during an inter-agency meeting in late 2002, when she was working forUNAIDS. “Since she was the only other person under 50there, apart from me, and the only woman, sheunsurprisingly caught my attention!” says Lee. How did hewin her over? “Our first date was a take-away KFC.” Thehappy couple were married in June on a small island off thecoast of Brittany in France called L'ile aux Moines (“Isle ofthe Monks”) where, according to Lee, the food was muchbetter than on their first date.

Kirstie Campbell, PI Officer for the oPt, foundlove in the midst of one of WFP's mostdangerous and challenging operatingenvironments. She and former Guardiancorrespondent, Conal Urquhart, had not one buttwo weddings, including one in London on July12th aboard the HMS Belfast, the ship hergrandfather served on for many years.

No sooner had Stephanie Savariaud's transfer fromNairobi to Dakar come through than her heartsettled on Pascal Vuillet, head of the UNHumanitarian Air Service for Somalia, based inNairobi. Marcus Prior, a PI Officer based in Nairobi(and the only field-based PI bachelor left!) sentthis dispatch from the scene of the wedding: Thewedding was in the tiny town hall ('mairie') inSteph's home village of Lagupy, outside Marmande inthe Bordeaux wine country, and a reception followedat a chateau nearby, where Steph and Pascal

confirmed French superiority in things culinary with an extravaganza of the finest localfood and wines, pausing only for a spectacular fireworks display. Last known location- somewhere in the Greek isles....

WFP's PI Officer in Kabul, EbadullahEbadi, writes about the impact of highfood prices and food shortages inAfghanistan, a land-locked countrywhere low food production levels haveincreased vulnerability and causedconcern among Afghans amid the globalfood crisis.

It was dawn and men were making their way towards the Pul-e-Khishti Mosque in centralKabul to attend morning prayer. Nine-year-old Maroufa who, like many Afghans, has only onename along with her brother Ziauddin, 7, and her younger sister Nazifa, 3, were begging atthe gate of the mosque. “Give alms, alms! May God reward you - please help us!” Thechildren chanted repeatedly. All three of them were hungry, desperate and clearly deprivedof sleep.

Yet people were not going to the mosque todonate money to begging children, they weregoing for daily prayers.

“It is a routine for them,” said Abdul Qaseem,a bead-seller, who added that the childrenwould come to the mosque five times a daywhen people came to pray.

“We only had water and bread last night,” saidMaroufa, hiding her dried lips with her flowered

scarf. She looked pale in her old green dress, which had holes in several places.

Like Maroufa, millions of children are deprived of education and other opportunities becauseof circumstances related to poverty. High food prices have profoundly affected many of thealready vulnerable Afghans who spend up to 70 percent of their incomes alone on food.

The war-ravaged country - which was rankedthe fifth least developed country in the worldaccording to the 2007 National HumanDevelopment Report - is experiencing a serioushumanitarian challenge due to worsening foodinsecurity largely caused by rising food andfuel prices. The Afghan Government and UNagencies appealed to donors for about US$79million in January in order to provide 88,000tonnes of mixed food aid and other relief itemsto 2.55 million most vulnerable people all overthe country.

However, the situation is dire. According to recent reports, people are committing suicideacross the country and parents have been selling their children, especially daughters, inorder to have enough money to feed the rest of the family.

Afghanistan's prospects for a better harvest in 2008 look grim due to severe drought andother natural disasters that have increasingly damaged the agriculture and livestock. As aresult, the humanitarian aid community is needed to intervene and deliver more.

TIME FOR ALL TODO MORE TO

HELP AFGHANS

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WFP ALL-STAFF PHOTO, STORY AND VIDEO COMPETITIONStaff capture some quintessential WFP moments in our quarterly WFP all-staff photo, story and video competition. The photo prize this time around goes to Anna Yla Kauttufor her photograph showing WFP staff and partners discussing distributions beside a helicopter in Madagascar following Cyclone Ivan. Check out her winning photo and therunners-up below!

Also the winning video by Chris Kaye, WFP Representative in Myanmar, was an excellent example of how the flipcams dispatched by the Communications Division can be usedwith great effect - and acclaim - even making it onto the BBC website! (View his video on wfp.org's video page)

We look forward to seeing more stories, images and videos by the next competition deadline of 30 September 2008. Remember that the prizes for each category include theopportunity to send a child to school (chosen by the winner) for a year where they will receive WFP school meals, as well as a certificate from the Executive Director, who hastaken a close interest in this competition. Please send story submissions to Natasha Scripture, photos to Rein Skullerud and video to Jonathan Dumont.

WINNER: Coordination and planning areessential ingredients of WFP emergencyoperations, such as this one in SoanieranaIvongo (east coast of Madagascar)following Cyclone Ivan which struck thecountry earlier this year. Over the past 35years, at least 50 natural disasters,including cyclones, drought, epidemics,floods, famines and locust infestations,have been reported in Madagascar. Anna Yla Kauttu, SF Consultant

In Ambahohabe - a villagethat was only accessible byhelicopter following CycloneIvan - a WFP beneficiaryholds a sleeping baby closeto her. Over 70 percent ofthe population in Madagascarlives below the poverty line,and some 50 percent ofchildren under three years ofage suffer retarded growthdue to a chronicallyinadequate diet. Anna Yla Kauttu, SF Consultant

In Madagascar's Analanjirofo regionalone, approximately 80,000 peoplelost their homes during Cyclone Ivanand the weeks of uninterruptedrainfall that followed. In this photo, aWFP-chartered helicopter was greetedby a large crowd of people when ittouched down in the village ofAmbahohabe. Jasleen Sethi

Smiles all around at a WFPfood distribution center inBangladesh where WFP distributed rice and high-energy biscuits to victims ofa major flood in September2007. The family in thisphotograph, which includesa woman, her grandson, andher younger son had soughtrefuge on a highway beforefinding shelter.Sneha Lata, ProgrammeOfficer, WFP Bangladesh

This photo was taken in the Chittagong region insoutheastern Bangladesh. The child lives with hisparents on a small, remote island prone torecurrent floods. His mother participated in WFP'scash transfer pilot in 2007 designed to meetimmediate food needs of vulnerable households. Ugo Gentilini, Policy Officer, OEDP

School kids munch on WFPhigh-energy biscuits at theMahavelou school on SainteMairie Island, off the coastof Madagascar. More than1,400 classrooms weredamaged or destroyed duringCyclone Ivan. In cooperationwith the Ministry of NationalEducation (MEN) andUNICEF, WFP conducted afood aid interventiontargeting pupils in cyclone-affected schools. F. Bertizzolo, ProgrammeOfficer, WFP Madagascar

A locally-contracted driver takes a closer lookunder his hood in the emergency operations hubtown of Caia during the emergency floodresponse in central Mozambique in early 2008.Throughout the response, WFP managed road,river and air operations for the Government andother humanitarian actors, providing food andother emergency relief to over 250,000 people. Oscar Caleman, Project Officer, OMIE

In June, WFP's Executive Board approved a new four-year Strategic Plan (2008-2011) toaddress growing hunger needs due to the global food crisis. The Plan marks a historical shiftfrom WFP as a food aid agency to WFP as a food assistance agency, with a more robust setof tools to respond to critical hunger needs.

“This strategic plan marks a revolution in food aid that supports local markets in breakingthe cycle of hunger,” said Josette Sheeran, WFP Executive Director.

The Plan outlines WFP's five Strategic Objectives:o Save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies;o prevent acute hunger and invest in disaster preparedness and mitigation measures;o restore and rebuild lives and livelihoods in post-conflict, post-disaster or transitionsituations;o reduce chronic hunger and undernutrition;o strengthen the capacities of countries to reduce hunger.

There will also be a focus on prevention, local foodpurchases, and using targeted cash and voucherprogrammes when food is available locally but notaccessible by the hungry. The overarching goal isto reduce dependency and to support governmentaland global efforts to ensure long-term solutions tothe hunger challenge.

To read the full document, please visit thewfp.org/strategic plan.

TTHHEE WWAAYY FFOORRWWAARRDDU.S. First Lady Laura Bush visited WFP Headquartersfor the first time on 12 June where she addressedWFP's Executive Board. Sitting next to WFP ExecutiveDirector Josette Sheeran, the First Lady spoke aboutactions recently taken by President Bush to addresshigh food prices, including his bid to U.S. Congress toprovide an additional US$770 million to support U.S.food aid and development programmes. She projectedthat over the next two years, the U.S. will spend atleast US$5 billion to fight global hunger. Mrs Bush also called on Congress to supporta proposal to purchase up to 25 percent of food assistance directly from farmers inthe developing world.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also made his first visit to WFP Headquarters inJune. In a speech to WFP staff, the SG praised Josette Sheeran for her leadership

during the global food crisis and her ability tomobilize resources. Mr Ban said that the ‘silenttsunami’ is the ‘greatest challenge in WFP’shistory’. Referring to the Memorial Wall, Mr Banalso paid a tribute to WFP staff who have beenkilled in the line of duty. Josette Sheeranpresented Mr Ban with an “Award of Merit”which honoured him as a “Champion in theBattle Against Hunger”.

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